I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 310 Sophistry is Useless
Even in the dead of winter, with the north wind howling, the people's deep resentment remained undiminished.

"For a dignified emperor to secretly ally with a foreign enemy, just to put His Highness Prince Zhixuan and the Northwest Army to death, is utterly depraved!"

"King Xuan and the Northwest Army guarded the Northwest for many years, making great contributions to the stability of the Great Yu border. Yet they were suspected and murdered by the emperor. It is truly chilling!"

"Even the fall of Wuwei City in the 30th year of the Kangzhi reign was related to the emperor. How old was the emperor at that time? How could he be so ruthless?"

"One act of treason wasn't enough, he had to do it a second time! Is the Emperor addicted to treason?!"

Inside the Dayu Imperial Palace, Emperor Pingyuan sat on the dragon throne with a frosty expression, his eyes fixed on the books on his desk.

The ministers remained silent, heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

Grand Secretary Li, his neck stiff with arrogance, demanded, "May I ask Your Majesty, is what is written in this book true? Did Your Majesty truly collude with the Turks in order to weaken the power of the vassal states, and was even responsible for the massacre of the 30th year of the Kangzhi reign?"

Emperor Pingyuan slowly raised his eyes, his sinister gaze shooting towards Grand Secretary Li.

Grand Secretary Li was filled with disappointment. "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a country, how can you be so muddle-headed? How can you face the people of the world?"

Grand Secretary Li, suppressing the tears welling in his eyes, knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty, I humbly beg you to abdicate to appease public anger!"

The ministers were shocked. "Grand Secretary Li, have you gone mad?!"

Abdicate? How dare you utter such treasonous words?

"I am perfectly clear-headed, and it is precisely because I am clear-headed that I offer this advice," Grand Secretary Li said calmly. "The laws of the Great Yu clearly state: the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people! Your Majesty's collusion with foreign enemies is a heinous crime. Not only must you abdicate, but you must also personally go to the Imperial Clan Court to await judgment by the imperial clan!"

The Minister of Justice objected, saying, "The emperor is the son of heaven; how can he be compared to commoners? Furthermore, colluding with foreign enemies is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Does Grand Secretary Li intend to wipe out the entire Gu imperial family before he is satisfied?"

Grand Secretary Li remained expressionless. "Your Majesty has committed such a disgraceful act, earning the contempt and scorn of the people. Do you intend to pretend nothing happened and continue to sit firmly on the throne?"

"If that's really the case, wouldn't everyone be willing to collude with the enemy and betray the country if the superiors set an example for the subordinates?"

The Minister of Justice choked.

Grand Tutor Zhang waved his sleeve and said, “Grand Secretary Li, please do not exaggerate. His Majesty only made these mistakes because he was momentarily confused. As long as His Majesty sincerely repents, the people will surely forgive him in consideration of His Majesty’s hard work and love for the people over the years.”

"No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Your Majesty is also a human being, and humans are prone to error!" Grand Tutor Zhang advised. "I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach, extend favors to Prince Xuan and his family, and posthumously grant the titles of Protector General and honor the fallen soldiers. When the people see Your Majesty's sincere repentance, they will surely forgive Your Majesty."

Grand Secretary Li sarcastically remarked, "In Grand Tutor Zhang's eyes, is a mere edict of self-reproach and a flashy but empty title worth the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers who died in battle?"

"May I ask, Grand Tutor Li, if His Majesty truly abdicates, who will succeed to the throne?" Grand Tutor Zhang asked. "The eldest and second princes are still too young to govern; how can they possibly inherit the throne?"

“The prince is still young, but he will grow up eventually,” Grand Secretary Li insisted. “If it is really not possible, we can select a capable and steady member of the imperial clan to temporarily assume the important position!”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review sneered, "No wonder Grand Secretary Li insisted on His Majesty's abdication; it turns out he was plotting to have Prince Xuan succeed to the throne!"

Grand Secretary Li frowned. "When did I ever say that Prince Xuan should succeed to the throne?"

"Although the Grand Secretary did not say it explicitly, among the imperial clan, apart from His Highness Prince Xuan, there is only Prince Xian, who is devoted to Buddhism! Could it be that the Grand Secretary intends to hand over the vast territory of Dayu to Prince Xian?"

Then the Great Yu Kingdom is truly doomed to perish!

Just as Grand Secretary Li was about to argue further, a roar filled with thunderous fury came from the throne.

"enough!"

Emperor Pingyuan suddenly stood up. "What collusion with the enemy? What reduction of the power of the vassal states? I have never done any of those things!" "Since I ascended the throne, I have been diligent in my duties day and night, and have never indulged or slackened for a moment!"

"I have always treated the imperial family members with great care and generosity, and have never shortchanged them. Even the Prince Xuan, who is far away in the northwest, has never been shortchanged by me in terms of the rewards he receives during festivals!"

"I cherish my people dearly, and I would rather cut back on palace expenses than fail to pay the salaries of all officials and soldiers!"

"I believe I have done everything I could to be kind and righteous. Why would my uncle, Prince Xuan, falsely accuse me of treason and collusion with the enemy, even pinning the fall of Wuwei in the thirtieth year of the Kangzhi reign on me?"

Emperor Pingyuan descended the steps and walked step by step to Grand Secretary Li. "Now I know. It turns out that it was Prince Xuan who coveted the dragon throne I was sitting on, and wanted to leave me speechless and forced to abdicate!"

"Uncle Xuan is my own uncle!" Emperor Pingyuan cried, tears streaming down his face. "If Uncle Xuan truly had such intentions, he should have told me directly, and I would have abdicated the throne to him. Why did he have to frame me like this?"

Grand Secretary Li looked up in shock, "Your Majesty, does Your Majesty mean that what's written in this book is false?"

Emperor Pingyuan said in grief and indignation, "Of course it's fake! As the Emperor of Dayu, why would I collude with the Turks to kill the Northwest Army? Wouldn't that be digging my own grave?"

Grand Secretary Li was filled with doubt and uncertainty. "What is the meaning of that letter?"

Emperor Pingyuan vehemently denied it, saying, "I don't know who copied my handwriting; I never wrote it!"

"What about the private seal?"

Emperor Pingyuan immediately said, "I only just found out that the eunuchs around me were dishonest and had secretly stolen my personal seal!"

Seeing Emperor Pingyuan's expression, Grand Secretary Li knew he was lying through his teeth. His heart was filled with both joy and sorrow, and he was no longer willing to insist. "If Your Majesty says it's not true, then it's not true."

Emperor Pingyuan gritted his teeth, his sharp eyes fixed on Grand Tutor Zhang and the others beside him.

Grand Secretary Li was unwilling to cooperate with Emperor Pingyuan in putting on an act, but Grand Tutor Zhang and others were willing.

Grand Tutor Zhang and his men knelt on the ground in a panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, you have been wronged!"

With the cooperation of his court officials, Emperor Pingyuan composed himself and continued, "Prince Xuan has falsely accused me of treason and collusion with the enemy, revealing the extent of his ruthlessness! To protect my innocence and reputation, I would rather bear the name of being unfilial than allow Prince Xuan to slander me!"

Emperor Pingyuan said, "Grand Tutor Zhang, you must immediately draft an edict to clear my name and question Prince Xuan about his actions."

Grand Tutor Zhang bowed his head and accepted the decree.

"Minister of Justice and Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, once the edict is written, you two should send people to post it throughout the streets and alleys. If anyone still believes the false accusations made by Prince Xuan, they should be imprisoned immediately!"

The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review bowed their heads and accepted the imperial decree.

"Grand Secretary Li, you must immediately convene the cabinet, select elite troops and generals to attack the Northwest, and capture Prince Xuan alive."

Emperor Pingyuan said bitterly, "I want to ask Prince Xuan myself why he would frame me like this!"

Emperor Pingyuan, not hearing that Grand Secretary Li had received the decree, narrowed his eyes and asked, "What, does Grand Secretary Li firmly believe in Prince Xuan's slanderous words and conclude that I am a traitor?"

After a long pause, Grand Secretary Li bowed his head and said, "Your subject dares not, Your subject accepts the decree."

A murderous glint flashed in Emperor Pingyuan's eyes, but he forced it down and left the imperial study with a flick of his sleeve.

That's all the chapters I have saved up. I'll post one chapter this morning and the remaining one tonight!
Thank you to Yu Qiu and Kuang Ge for their generous donations, and thank you to all the readers who voted for the author! Love you all!
It's the last day of September, please continue to vote for the author!